Mission to Sector ZZ1219 Page 12

  “Okay,” she thought, “Now the news vids.” After watching half a dozen different reports of what was going on not only on this planet, but on the orbiting facilities, she was seething. What Johnny had said now made perfect sense.

  Governor Myers had planned to fake an assassination attempt on herself during the Inaugural Ball. To use it to impose controls and sanctions. The official word was that the pirates were behind it, but that they were being supplied and directed by certain elements in the Confederation that do not want the sector to stay peaceful and under the direction of the rightfully appointed governor.

  “Anyone that believes that bit of propaganda would have to be half brain dead!” Willi told the vid screen. “She just wants to put her strangle hold on the sector!”

  The facilities were austere, but there was food. She ate after she went over the place thoroughly. She found a few useful items, which she was sure Johnny had intended. Willi was getting anxious when sixteen hundred rolled around and Johnny still had not returned.

  She had the standard sidearm she wore drawn and pointing at him without thought when he suddenly appeared. “Don’t do that!” she protested, holstering the weapon on her hip.

  The drawing of, and then re-holstering were both more unconscious acts, as the weapon and holster were identical to those she used when on the trading missions in the shuttle. Apparently, the special weapon was to be kept secure for special circumstances.

  “Good reflexes,” Johnny said. “I’ll keep it in mind.” He looked around. “I see that you’ve made yourself at home. Hopefully it will not be for long. Things have taken a turn for the worse, unfortunately.

  “Despite some of the seeds of distrust I planted, the group has stayed together, for the most part. I’d hoped to trigger a falling out, but only a couple of minor players are no longer involved.”

  Willi noted the feral grin as he continued. “However, what we do tonight, if successful, will change some of that.” He took a quick bite from a ration pack, and then set it aside.

  It was automatic. “You should eat something more and get some rest.”

  “No time,” Johnny said. “You found the confusion suits?”

  Willi nodded.

  “I want to get this done, and then try to contact Telstar and Isis. There is something going on at the base, and my normal sources were not available. I do not like that.”

  The words themselves, more than the even tone, told Willi that he was worried. Very worried. She had learned how to read between the lines, even when he used very few lines. At least part of the time.

  “Go ahead and suit up. Draw one of the medium weapons launchers. I’m going to need to go in fast and light, but I want major damage when I exit.”

  As almost all Trading Families did, Trinity Home’s group of families insisted that everyone, above a certain age, had weapons training. The universe was a dangerous place always, and sometimes the danger came from entities that required force with which to stop them.

  It took only moments for Willi to have the confusion suit components on, and a weapons launcher and ammunition bags slung over her shoulders. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Other side of the planet,” Johnny said, still adding items to the harness he had put on after he had put on his own confusion suit components.

  Willi was beginning to wonder what he considered going in heavy, if what he was equipping himself with was going in light. But she did not get a chance to ask. Johnny lifted a trapdoor in the floor, by tilting back the small table in the center of the room.

  “I’m not going to like this, am I?” Willi asked, stepping over and looking down into the narrow confines of a shaft going straight down.

  “Probably not,” Johnny replied. “Give me a three count before you drop. The trap will close on its on in about a minute so don’t worry about it. Make sure your legs are bent.” Then he was gone.

  Taking a deep breath, Willi counted to three silently, and then stepped into the hole. She felt Johnny’s hand steady her when she landed, staggering slightly, even having made sure to land with her legs bent to absorb the shock.

  It was too dark to see well, though there was some light. Willi had just enough time to realize they were standing in a high-speed transport tunnel before Johnny was pressing his body against hers, holding her tightly against the wall of the tunnel as a transporter hurtled past mere centimeters from his back.

  “Okay. Next one is faster, but it has to slow to let the one ahead take a turnout to let it get past. We have just enough time to get onto the rear connector. There are good foot and hand holds, but make sure you are secure immediately. You’ll have to tie off after we get going.”

  Willi nodded. She could feel the air rushing past as the transporter approached, pushing the air in the tunnel ahead of it. Again, Johnny crowded against her as the craft went past, visibly slowing. Johnny began running toward the rear of the thing when it had cleared them, and Willi followed.

  He watched, but did not reach out to help her, as she scrambled onto the projecting coupler at the rear of the last unit. She had had at least three seconds to spare, and was glad she had looped an arm through an access hatch handle, for when the transporter speeded back up, it did so very rapidly, and was going fast enough to make breathing slightly difficult due to the slight vacuum created behind it in the tight tunnel.

  Willi looked over at Johnny and could barely believe his eyes. He was holding on with one hand, the other using the comm device. She did note that he had the device fastened to his harness with a lanyard. If he did drop it, it would not be lost.

  He looked over at her, smiled, and held up the comm device. She had to grin back when she realized the number she was seeing was the speed at which they were traveling. It was walking speed compared to the velocities she obtained in space, but considering she was riding on the back of a transporter, traveling underground, with just enough clearance to avoid… most of the time… scraping the paint off the sides, it was fast.

  Again, her eyes widened in astonishment when Johnny fastened a carabineer to a handy projecting loop and propped his knees against the wall of the transporter and seemed to relax, arms crossed on his chest, head down as if he intended to take a nap.

  Hurriedly Willi attached herself to attachment points she found, using three carabineers to do so. She looked over at Johnny occasionally. He did seem to actually be napping, his body swaying gently with the motion of the transporter. She found herself relaxing, feeling secure with the fastenings, but knew she was not about to fall asleep, if it took them the rest of the evening and all of the night to get where they were going.

  She woke up when Johnny nudged her. With a muttered curse at having fallen asleep in the first place, Willi had to struggle slightly to get a good grip so she could start unfastening the carabineers. She saw that Johnny was already free and ready to step off the transporter when the time came.

  When she was ready, Johnny held up his hand, showing four fingers. She mouthed the words, “Minutes?” Apparently using the regular communication devices they wore was not acceptable at the moment.

  Johnny nodded. Willi felt the unit begin to slow perceptibly, and then much more quickly. She continued to watch Johnny. When he nodded, she stepped back and began running forward, as the transporter was still going at a good clip. She did not even stumble, and followed Johnny into a side tunnel as the transporter came to a groaning halt some distance down the main tunnel.

  Willi looked at her chrono. They had traveled for almost two hours. She must have slept most of the last one. She shook her head, and then looked at Johnny. He grinned at her and she had to grin back.

  “Okay. We’re going up. Have to climb and it’s a good distance. We take our time and rest at the top. We’ll be going out into a large warehousing complex. The pirates have a small base in one of the warehouses. It’s number thirteen, believe it or not.

  “There’s a good spot to set yourself up about ten meters to the right when we ex
it. I’ll cover you until you are ready, and then go directly from the portal into the warehouse. When you see me come out, or if I don’t come out after no more than six minutes, level the place.”

  Willi looked at him with alarm.

  “There are no non-combatants inside. I’ve scouted it thoroughly. And my last remote check of the surveillance devices indicates the same.

  “Besides… if I’m caught by those inside… there is no hope. Level it. There’ll be several jumpers parked around. Take one and go.”

  She wanted to protest, but the look in his eyes prevented it. “You can count on me.”

  “I know,” Johnny said. He reached for the first ladder rung of the shaft leading up without responding further. They did not exchange another word until after they were in one of the jumpers, headed toward space.

  There had been no one visible when she exited the access portal for the tunnel, and no alarm had sounded when she ran over and set out her ammunition in the spot Johnny had said would be there, and was. She got the launcher up on her shoulder and ready.

  Watching Johnny move from the portal to the door of warehouse thirteen she was amazed at how quickly he covered the ground. She had not really taken note of what he had equipped himself with, other than there seemed to be a lot more than she would have considered a light load.

  Willi did recognize the effects of one of the devices, for a door disintegrated as he approached it at a dead run, and then went through the resulting opening without slowing.

  It was many long moments before she heard anything else, but then the noise was deafening for a moment before the communicator muffled it. Willi could hear the activity, the communicator controlling the volume to understandable levels.

  Her grip tightened on the launcher and she felt a chill go down her spine. She had just heard the unmistakable sounds of at least two Ecronians. And they were not in the least bit happy. Her chrono was counting down the six minutes. She knew now why Johnny had said to level the place whether or not he came out.

  But he did. Again, at a dead run, despite dragging something behind him. Johnny knew Wilhelmina McKindrick was a capable young woman in many ways, not the least of which was weapons handling.

  But even he was surprised to see the signature, small as it was, of the launcher sending a projectile toward the warehouse behind him. It passed close enough to him for him to feel the air disturbance.

  He felt the concussion on his back even as he saw her changing her aim and hitting the warehouse with the full capability of her weapon. Johnny headed for the nearest corner of the next nearest warehouse. Willi grabbed the other end of the parcel he was dragging with one hand, the other holding the launcher ready, and helped him drag the thing.

  She helped him get it into the jumper that was just around the corner of the warehouse. So far there had been no pursuit from Warehouse Thirteen. Willi did not think there would be. She had hit it with a saturation pattern from directly ahead, and then again from above, using the capability of the weapon and ammunition for a projectile to climb after launch and then dive down on the top of the target.

  It was only when Johnny said, “If he tries to get out of that bag, feel free to use whatever force you’d like in order to prevent it,” that Willi realized that it was a live being they had been dragging. Her sidearm seemed to leap into her hand when she heard the non-human moan.

  Willi quickly took a seat and strapped herself in. Johnny would not be sparing the fuel. It bothered her not at all to leave the Ecronian lying on the floor, still inside the polymer bag in which Johnny had brought him from the warehouse.

  There were more moans as the acceleration began in earnest. Willi just stomped her foot on the opening of the bag when an Ecronian appendage began to appear. “Stay or die,” she said, coldly. The moans continued, but the movement stopped.

  “Evasive maneuvering!” Johnny called out.

  Willi did shove the Ecronian into some semblance of security, holding him in place with her feet, as Johnny sent the jumper on a violent path. She felt the jumper shudder more than once from near misses as the acceleration continued.

  “Okay,” Johnny said. “We’re clear of the defense ring. We’ve got about ten minutes before they vector attack craft to us. Come up and find us a place to land safely, but with people around.”

  Willi quickly changed places with him and was glad she did not see what happened in the tiny cabin behind her. What she heard was bad enough.

  She had no doubt that Johnny had given the Ecronian a chance. He would not have done otherwise. But when she set the jumper down in the middle of a large park, and left the pilot seat, she saw the Ecronian still down on the floor of the cabin.

  He was not inside the bag now, and he was moaning again. The cause had nothing to do with acceleration. It had to do with the obviously broken lower appendage from which the Ecronian was now suffering.

  Johnny finished fastening restraints on the other, still usable, appendages. He looked up at Willi. “Only got a minute or so. Disable the door when we go out. I don’t want anyone getting in to do anything to him… it… before the military gets here. They can open this thing up like a tin can, when they do get here, so will not need a working hatch. You ready?”

  Willi nodded. Johnny activated the hatch and they stepped out. A crowd was gathering. Jumpers, certainly capable of what they had just done, obviously, were strictly prohibited from using anything except jump ports.

  It took only a moment for Willi to have the hatches jammed so it would take some force to enter the jumper. She listened to Johnny as he spoke to the crowd while she did her work. “Make sure no one tries to enter. Clear the area so the military can land a craft here. They need what is inside and it is dangerous.”

  “Who the hell are you? And what is going on? Someone could have been killed when you landed that thing here!”

  “Hey!” came a yell from the crowd. “It’s Johnny Oneshot! It’s got to be. No one could do this but him!”

  Willi was looking at Johnny and saw him wince. “We got to go, now,” Johnny said softly. They both could hear the combat craft approaching.

  “I think you’d better stay and…” The man suddenly stepped back when he saw Johnny look at him. “Or not.”

  Johnny started running and Willi followed. When he darted between two buildings, Willi had to stop and turn back to join him. She was past the opening before she could stop, he had made the turn so quickly. Several people had been trying to follow, but after two more twists and turns they had lost the last of them.

  It had not been an option to do anything physical to stop them. Only eluding them was acceptable. Johnny Oneshot did not harm innocents. And neither did she.

  Willi was amazed again when they stopped. She was in good shape, and was not really winded after the running, but she was feeling the effects of the effort. Johnny seemed not to even be breathing hard.

  He was studying his comm device again. “Okay. We’re good. There’s an underground access tunnel to the utilities grid just ahead. It’s a short trip there. Activate the confusion suit for civilian clothing and go out and get a robot taxi.”

  Willi nodded. It went just as he said. It was not long before they were in a taxi headed for another of the private jump ports. It was full dark now. “You think they’ll be looking for us at the jump port?” she asked.

  “Doubtful, but possible,” Johnny said. “If they are, we just do an alternate plan. Go back and steal another of the jumpers at the warehouse.”

  “They’ll have people all over that place now!” Willi exclaimed.

  The sardonic smile was back. “Sure. The Security Forces. Look a lot like us, don’t you think?” He adjusted the confusion suit.

  “You are audacious!” Willi replied.

  They did not have to find out if it would work, though Willi thought it probably would have. There was no trouble at the small ten-hanger jump port. “Do you have these things all over the planet?” Willi asked Johnny.

&nbs
p; “Here and there,” was the only reply she received.

  Chapter Five

  -

  When they were in the Dominators, Johnny told her, through the secure short range commlink, “We’re going to monitor the base for a bit to see if I can figure out what’s going on. Try to get some rest while we’re in wait mode.”

  “I’ll try,” Willi acknowledged, though she doubted she would. She surprised herself yet again. It was much like the training aboard Trinity Home. They had been taught to rest when they could when in certain situations. Such as this one, though certainly not exactly like it. The beep from her instruments had her alert from her resting-the-eyes-and-senses state.

  It certainly was not accepted communications protocol. “For crying out loud, Broadsword Leader! This is the third straight patrol you and Isis have done! You can’t keep it up!”

  “Belay that!” came Captain Butler’s voice.

  Willi could hear the fatigue even over the communications equipment.

  “We have our orders.” The same fatigue was evident in Captain Echart’s voice when she spoke.

  “At least hang back. I’ll take point and…”

  “You will follow orders, Lieutenant Chambers! Now fall into formation and maintain comm silence until we make contact!”

  “Aye, sir!”

  The two Dominators were drifting only a meter or so apart. Willi looked over at Johnny in the other cockpit. He held up the comm device. She took hers out of a slit pocket and looked at it. Apparently, Johnny did not even want to use the secure comm link of the Dominators.

  “On at least watch and watch. He broke comm procedure himself. He has to be exhausted to do that. Isis no doubt the same. We shadow and protect. No action unless they run into bogies. Then we take it to them before Broadsword does.”

  “Acknowledged,” Willi signaled back.